Best Bangkok shopping spots

Go shopping from the Bangkok Skytrain

Bangkok has some of the best fashion and gadget shopping in Asia and the Bangkok Skytrain (BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok rail line) is a fast, cheap and convenient way to get to many of the best Bangkok shopping spots while avoiding the worst of its traffic.

One of my family’s passions when we visit Bangkok is shopping. We think it’s one of the best shopping cities in the world and on our first visit we spent almost the entire first week just exploring the amazing shopping centres and markets, picking up loads of bargains along the way. Each time we go back to Thailand we try to make a point of setting aside at least a couple of days to go shopping.

The BTS Skytrain is a great way to get around in Bangkok

Here’s a list of the best shopping spots in Bangkok and how to get there using the Bangkok Skytrain and the connecting MRT Bangkok system. The Bangkok skytrain is easy to access, cheap to use, fast and convenient with handy BTS stations in all the right places. The best place to start your Bangkok Skytrain journey is central station but you can find all the BTS Skytrain and MRT Line stations on our BTS Skytrain map.

Amarin Plaza – a 5 storey shopping plaza crawling with designer brand clothing and accessories including Guy Laroche and Valentino brands, plus music shops, dance schools, a make-up school, fitness centre, yoga school, hand-made silks, bookshops and designer jewellery. Take the Bangkok Skytrain to Chit Lom station (E1) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line). Turn left out of the station onto Thanon Rama I Road and walk about 200 metres (it’s before Thanon Ratchadamri Road).

Central Department Store, Chidlom – There are lots of Central Group stores in Bangkok, but the Chidlom store is one of the best places to shop if you’re on the larger side, like myself, with clothing to fit almost any size. Nothing special here, but 8 floors of good basic shopping for everyday needs like workwear, stationery, household items, etc, and also some luxury items at good prices. Take the Bangkok Skytrain to Phloen Chit station (E2) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line) and head away from the big expressway, down Thanon Phloen Chit, over Thanon Wireless (Withayu) and Soi Som Khit and you’ll see Central Chidlom on the right side of the road just before Thanon Lang Suan, about 800 metres from the station. If you’re cooking for yourself this is also a great place to stock up on some western food like British or German sausages, fresh pasta, t-bone steaks and French bread! See Central Chidlom on Google Maps. If you prefer, there are also Central Department Stores at the Silom Centre, Central Pinklao, Central City Bangna and other locations.

Central World Shopping Complex – one of the largest shopping centres in Bangkok covering almost 1 square kilometre of land and considered on of Asia’s biggest shopping centres. You could spend a week in Central World and still not find the exit doors. Central world has everything you could ever want to buy from the latest trendy fashions to designer furniture, the weekly shopping to some of the best gourmet food ingredients in Bangkok, and there’s even an ice-skating rink to entertain the kids while you shop. Take the Bangkok Skytrain to Chit Lom station (E1) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line). Turn left out of the station onto Thanon Rama I Road and walk about 400 metres to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel (it’s before Thanon Ratchadamri Road) where you’ll find a sky bridge to Central World Shopping Complex. See Central World Shopping Complex on Google Maps.

The Emporium – this is designer-central in Bangkok, where the trendiest of the fashionistas come to deck themselves out in the latest designer wear, whether for their bodies or their apartments. The Emporium has entire floors dedicated to particular aspects of fashion and design, like the “Living Gallery” of homewares and the “Pleasure and Leisure” floor with the latest electronics and gadgets. The Emporium is connected to Phrom Phong station (E5) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line) of the Bangkok Skytrain via a skybridge. See The Emporium on Google Maps.

Erawan Bangkok – integrated with the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in downtown Ratchaprasong, Erawan Bangkok (not to be confused with the Erawan Shrine where people worship less materialistic things) is a 5 storey shopping complex with a very grand and sensational design that offers only the best of the best, to those who can afford it. The ground floor “food hall” (if you can call this a food hall) has some of the best shopping centre eateries you’ll ever find including outstanding Chinese yum cha or dim sum (La Mian Xiao Long Bao), a very creditable steakhouse (Ceasars), a grand high tea with cucumber sandwiches and curled little fingers (Erawan Tea Room) and everything in between – but for value visit the Urban Kitchen where you’ll find a good selection of foods from all over Asia and not too unreasonable prices. Higher floors offer top world brands like Burberry, Blackjack, Coach and Kenzo Tadaka. Erawan Bangkok is also directly connected to other shopping centres including Siam Square, Siam Paragon, Central World Plaza and Central Chidlom, so if you can’t see what you’re looking for, just keep walking and you’ll find it. Take the Bangkok Skytrain to Chit Lom station (E1) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line). Turn left out of the station onto Thanon Rama I Road and walk about 400 metres to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel (it’s before Thanon Ratchadamri Road) where you’ll find a sky bridge to Erawan Bangkok. See Erawan Bangkok on Google Maps.

MBK Shopping Centre – Mah Boon Krong (MBK) has taken on almost mythical status with travellers in Bangkok as one of the very best places to shop. It’s one of the places we love to go back to time and time again, because there’s something for everyone in the family. MBK has 8 floors of mostly independent stores selling everything from electronics and mobile phones to handbags and jewellery, luggage, furniture, home appliances, computers, cameras and almost anything else you could think of. It’s a great place to get your mobile phone unlocked or buy a Thai SIM card, and also a great place to eat with two food courts on the 5th and 6th floors selling every kind of food you could possibly want. Take the Bangkok Skytrain to National Stadium station (W1) on the Silom Line (Dark Green Line) and cross the elevated walkway to MBK Shopping Centre. While on the walkway, check out the amazing traffic at the light changes on the busy intersection of Thanon Rama I and Thanon Phaya Thai – it’s legendary too! See MBK Centre on Google Maps.

Pantip Plaza – another of our favourite shopping centres in Bangkok, mainly because of its amazing range of computer, electronic, mobile phone and general IT stores. You can buy almost any electronic item you could possibly need at Pantip Plaza. Located on Petchaburi Road, opposite the Amari Watergate Hotel and next door to the Platinum Fashion Mall, there’s no one BTS station really close by. But if you get of the BTS Skytrain at Phaya Thai station (N2) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line), you can walk down to Thanon Phetchaburi and turn left, a walk of about 1.2 kilometres. Much better to grab a tuk-tuk from outside the station for about 25 Baht.

Platinum Fashion Mall – a large, glossy, European style 6 storey shopping mall underneath an 11 storey apartment building, with some of the best fashion bargains in Bangkok and a decent food court on the 5th floor. As with Pantip Plaza, the best way to get there is to take the BTS Skytrain to Phaya Thai station (N2) on the Sukhumvit Line (Green Line), then either walk down to Thanon Phetchaburi and turn left, a walk of about 1.2 kilometres. or just grab a tuk-tuk from outside the station for about 25 Baht.

Siam Paragon Shopping Centre – has a reputation as the one place where you can buy anything your heart desires, from a Gucci designer bag to a pair of Prada shoes, including brands like Dior, Louis Vitton, Versace and Hermes. But it doesn’t stop there – all the latest electronics and gadgetry can be found on the 5th floor, mens fashion on the 4th floor, womens fashion on 3rd floor, makeup and beauty products on the 2nd floor, and a wide variety of snack and meals on the first floor. Take the BTS Skytrain to Siam station (CS), the interchange between the BTS lines, and you’ll find Siam Paragon Shopping Centre right outside.

Tony and Tracy Gilbert are veteran Asian travellers with experience living and travelling in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and other Asian countries. Tony is a former journalist and editor who writes for many travel websites.

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